The National League for Democracy (NLD) defied expectations on Sunday by outperforming both its main military-backed rival and smaller ethnic parties to increase its strength in Kachin and Chin states.

Although vote-counting is still ongoing in Kachin state, the NLD has so far won 23 of the state’s 30 constituencies for the Amyotha Hluttaw and Pyithu Hluttaw, according to the leader of the party’s victory team in the state.

In Chin state, the party has won 20 of the state’s 21 constituencies in the Union parliament, including in conflict-hit Paletwa township, said Chin state election commission chair Oak Naw.

Together with the 18 constituencies in its state parliament, Chin state had a total of 39 seats up for grabs, of which 35 went to the NLD.

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The NLD won landslide victories in seven of the state’s nine townships, winning every seat in Paletwa, Matupi, Mindat, Kanpetlet, Thantlang, Falam and Tedim, and losing just one seat in Hakha and two in Tonzang.

In Hakha, the Chin National Democratic Party (CNDP) won in state parliament constituency (1), while the Zomi Congress for Democracy (ZCD) won one seat in the Pyithu Hluttaw and another in the state parliament in Tonzang.

In the 2015 election, the NLD won in 30 of the state’s 39 constituencies, with four going to the ZCD, two to the Chin National League for Democracy (CNLD), and three to the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

“I think we just got an opportunity to try and cultivate a safe and peaceful environment for our people, free from worries,” said NLD candidate Soe Htet, who contested a seat in Paletwa

In Paletwa, where clashes between the military and the Arakan Army have displaced an estimated 10,000 people and stranded another 60,000, out of a population of around 100,000, the NLD won in all five constituencies, according to Za Lai Myo Htet, who was one of the party’s candidates in the township.

Voting was restricted in parts of Paletwa, after a backlash to an announcement from the Union Election Commission (UEC) that it would allow the election to go ahead in the entire township, but the number of constituencies did not change.

NLD candidate Soe Htet, who won in state parliament constituency (1), said he was very grateful to the voters for the win and glad to represent conflict-affected Paletwa once again.

“I think we just got an opportunity to try and cultivate a safe and peaceful environment for our people, free from worries,” said Soe Htet, who is the sitting Chin state minister for municipal affairs.

CNLD candidate Bu Htang Pai said his party lost because the constituencies he campaigned in were among those where voting was restricted. He received 1,296 votes, while NLD candidate Pyay Min won 1,976.

Paletwa is relatively stable at the moment but there are concerns about food supplies as roads are still blocked, said Lin Bwe, a displaced native of Nan Chaung, a village near the town of Paletwa where 20 more than buildings were burned down in April and May.

He expressed joy over the NLD’s win and said he hoped the elected parliament members would help them with rations and getting home.

“I would like to go home as soon as possible. It would be great if they could help,” he said.

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In Kachin state, the NLD was confirmed as the winner in 23 of the state’s 30 constituencies in the Union parliament. It won 10 out of 12 seats in the Amyotha Hluttaw, and 13 out of 18 in the Pyithu Hluttaw.

“I would just like to say that this is a result of putting the people’s interests first,” Kachin state chief minister Dr Khet Aung said of the NLD’s strong showing in the state

This result is not final, however, as the votes for four seats in Khon Lan Phu and Naung Mon townships are still being counted, according to Win Bo, the leader of the NLD victory team in Kachin.

The NLD’s major opponents in Kachin state were the USDP and the Kachin State People’s Party (KSPP), a newly formed party that brought four regional Kachin parties together to contest the 2020 election, held on November 8.

Despite speculation that the KSPP, which enjoyed widespread public support due to its strong campaign activities, would present a serious challenge to the ruling party, the NLD had lost in only three constituencies as of late Monday.

In addition to winning 21 of the 36 seats in the state parliament, the NLD also received the most votes in three of the state’s four contests for ethnic affairs minister, according to Win Bo, the vice-chair of the NLD’s Kachin division.

The party will represent the state’s Bamar, Shan and Rawang minorities, but not the Lisu, he said, adding that the NLD’s victory in Kachin stemmed from the fact that it is a party for all of the people, and not just a certain group.

The NLD contested in all 70 constituencies in Kachin and has been confirmed as the winner in 47 of them. In 2015, the party won a total of 46 constituencies.

“What got into the people’s heads was that the KSPP is allied with USDP. I think that’s the major reason we didn’t win,” said KSPP vice-chair Gumgrawng Awng Hkam 

Incumbent Kachin state chief minister Dr Khet Aung said he was grateful to the Kachin public for giving their votes to NLD, and urged them to “put their NLD representatives to work”.

“I would just like to say that this is a result of putting the people’s interests first. Because the NLD values and puts the public first,” Dr Khet Aung told Myanmar Now.

So far, the USDP has only five confirmed wins in the 67 constituencies it contested in the state, winning two seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw and three in the state parliament.

The KSPP has won just four seats: one in the Pyithu Hluttaw and three in the state parliament.

According to KSPP vice-chair Gumgrawng Awng Hkam, the party’s lopsided defeat was due in part to migrant workers from central Myanmar in the townships of Hpakant, Danai and Sumprabum.

Another factor, he said, was chief minister Dr Khet Aung’s comments suggesting that the KSPP had formed an alliance with the USDP.

“What got into the people’s heads was that the KSPP is allied with USDP. I think that’s the major reason we didn’t win,” he told Myanmar Now.

Despite its strong showing elsewhere in the state, the NLD lost in all Pyithu Hluttaw and State Hluttaw constituencies in N Jang Yang and Sumprabum townships. The party lost the same seats in N Jang Yang in 2015.

Another constituency the NLD lost was Mansi township state parliament constituency (2), which was won by SNLD candidate Aye Min, who also won the same constituency in 2015.